


When The Dust Has Settled

by Nny11



Series: Close But No Cigar [7]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Ahsoka is Yoda's Former Padawan, Comfort, Family is hard, Gen, Post TWJ, Prompt Fic, Raada, Reconnecting with family, Set Post Siege of Raada, lineage feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-22
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2020-03-09 20:38:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18924580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nny11/pseuds/Nny11
Summary: There was a long beat of silence as they froze. And then the smallest, most unsure greeting in the Force. Glittering lights that sparked both openly and hesitantly at him through the smog of darkness.Qui Gon Jinn arrives on Raada with a particular goal in mind, re-connecting with his Aunt Ahsoka.





	When The Dust Has Settled

**Author's Note:**

> Part of my Close But No Cigar AU. This will make more sense if you've read that. And no, I have not posted the Siege of Raada yet it's coming and I just wanted to share this nice moment ok????

Qui Gon Jinn had thought he was prepared for this. Radaa had been described as a farming world, not lush by any standard but with some forests and fields and canyons. He had been to plenty of worlds that fit the description, most of them blurring into a pleasant haze of greens and browns, earthy scents and startlingly beautiful skies. It was fitting, he’d decided, that Ahsoka had chosen such a world to live on. They were never quiet in the living Force but they were quieter than Coruscant by far; restful, peaceful, invigorating. After her trials, Qui Gon was unsurprised she’d been drawn to such a world.

His boots made the softest crunching sound as he walked through the burnt stalks and ashes that had once been a farming field. Droids lay scattered about, most of them B-1s, but here and there larger ones he couldn’t place the use of were scattered about. Like bloated corpses tilted on one side, the ruined machines spilling little more than ash and mulch from their tops. The Force was quiet, so quiet here where it should have hummed with life. Qui Gon was more than grateful that if there had been bodies here, they’d already been cleared. His vision sat practically doubled from what he could see this place had once been, could once more be, and what it was now. It left him dizzy, and there was no need to add nausea to the mix thank you very much.

The small space port had been bombarded early on to ensure no one could flee the planet, fire still burned in the fuel lines underground leaving that particular area off limits. Between the heat, jagged metal, and fumes it was not exactly able to fulfill its functions any longer. So the Republic landed in and by the ruined fields, supplies and Troopers marching into the town to provide aid and relief. Qui Gon was not special in this respect. He was, however, not here to aid the effort. Not on a large scale at least. He had come for two specific reasons.

Anakin Skywalker, who was currently on the Resolute helping to coordinate the process. Ani had been thrilled to see him, his boyish grin no less loving or infectious despite how sleep deprived he was. They’d spoke at length, Anakin standing taller by the minute even as he picked at the spot his sleeve was now folded back in on itself. The prosthetic they’d given him still needed to be properly calibrated, and Anakin admitted he was reading up on them in order to “fix whatever it is they got wrong”.

Ahsoka Tano, who was currently planetside to help coordinate this whole process, was the other reason.

Qui Gon was unsure if his presence would be welcomed at all. While he had no part in the Council’s decision or the Senator’s vote, and he had searched day and night to find the true culprit...he had still accepted her fate as inevitable the morning she was to be sentenced. He had thought furiously, feverishly about how to break her out of the prison and had realized he could not. And he’d just...he doubted he would ever forgive himself for that. But Ahsoka deserved to at least have the opportunity to tell him to jump in a sarlacc pit herself.

Qui Gon blinked hard, pulling himself from the walking meditation he’d used, to discover he had reached the middle of the small town of Radaa. Half the buildings were crumbling, bombed and shot out. Listing this way and that as the stones and durasteel slowly fell. Those spared this fate were either filled with scared and angry locals, or packed with troops and supplies. The Force was not dark here, not necessarily, but with so much pain and turmoil after the unexpected Separatist attack it was clouded. Pausing to stretch his sense out, Qui Gon could feel the sparkling light he’d come to associate with Ahsoka. Nervousness welled up within him and he refused to turn back. Taking one last breath, he turned and began to follow it to its source.

It had only been a year since he’d seen her last, but Ahsoka was taller now, her montrals curving slightly and the stripes across her lekku had started to split. She had always had a wiry strength to her, but now muscle sat well defined on her arms, helping to fill out the spaces left from her last morphism. Qui Gon was still staring, trying to line up the woman before him with the child he’d last seen when Ahsoka whipped around to stare at him with wide eyes.

There was a long beat of silence as they froze. And then the smallest, most unsure greeting in the Force. Glittering lights that sparked both openly and hesitantly at him through the smog of darkness.

Qui Gon smiled broadly, confidence now filling him where fear had been only moments before. He walked quickly towards her as he pushed his own relieved greeting back. Her smile helped something loosen in his chest.

He stopped a few feet away from her, well aware that they had now drawn a decent audience, before initiating his new improvised plan. He bowed deeply and spoke loudly. “Ahsoka Tano, the sister to my Master, Aunt to myself, Great Aunt to my Padawan, and wise beyond her years it is an honor to see you once more. Aunty ‘Soka I plead but a moment of your very valuable time.”

Qui Gon held the bow a second longer than was proper, delighting in the embarrassment flowing off of her.

Her voice was calm and clear as she responded, “Nephew of mine, I will kill you for this. So I suppose I can grant you one last request.”

Standing tall once more he smiled down at her. Ahsoka glared half hearted at him, hands on her hips and one brow quirked up.

“Most excellent! I would request a hug then, for it shall surely be my last.” He kept his own smile bland as his heart tried to explode out from his chest.

Ahsoka laughed, practically jumping the small distance between them to hang from his neck in a hug. Qui Gon grunted as he caught her, delighted that her boots at least brushed the ground to take a bit of the weight off his damnable aching back. Wrapped up there, with her head tucked into his neck and his nose pressed into her montral it was easy to press his love into her skin. One pulse at a time through the Force, a small warm rain and the tickle of butterflies. 

Swallowing hard, Qui Gon roughly whispered to her, “Oh Ahsoka...I have missed you so.”

Her fingers dug painfully into his back as she shook, pressing into him tighter and closer. As if this truly would be their last hug. Then she pulled back just enough to look him in the eyes, her own glistening with unshed tears. “It’s good to see you Master.”

“No, no, none of that now. Just Ahsoka and Qui Gon. Aunt and nephew thank you.” Qui Gon wiggled one arm free to punctuate his last sentence with a small tap to her nose.

Ahsoka chuckled and the world exploded into colors and sounds, warm earthy tones and soft wooden chimes, as she flooded him with her love for him. Qui Gon reveled in it, allowing it to gather within him, to wash over him, to settle deep into his bones and chase away the cold fear and guilt that had rested there too long.

“I can do that,” Ahsoka mumbled, roughly wiping away at her eyes before waving a hand around. “Have you gotten the tour yet young man?”

“Not as such, perhaps you could show me?” He asked, holding his arm out and beyond pleased when she looped her through to rest her hand at his elbow.

“I suppose I can find the time for my favorite nephew.”


End file.
